Amethi returning officer can probe Gandhi's affidavit: EC

New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) Acting on Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy's complaint, the Election Commission has asked Amethi's returning officer to probe allegations that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi gave wrong information about his assets while filing nomination papers in the 2009 polls.

The Election Commission said the returning officer of Amethi Lok Sabha constituency was the competent authority to consider and probe the complaint.

R.K. Srivastva, principal secretary in the Election Commission, wrote a letter on Nov 15 to the chief electoral officer of Uttar Pradesh, that the representation submitted by Swamy dated Oct 31, 2012, was being forwarded to it to be sent to the returning officer of Amethi.

"Since the affidavit is filed before the returning officer, in view of provisions of Section 195 of Cr. PC, it is the returning officer concerned who is the competent authority to consider any complaint regarding false statement in the affidavit and to take appropriate follow−up action if the returning officer is satisfied that the affidavit contained false statement," the letter said.

The letter written Thursday said that the commission should be kept informed about the action in the matter.

Swamy had in his letter to the commission alleged that Gandhi had misrepresented facts in his affidavit for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi.

Swamy's letter said Gandhi had stated a "lie" that he has no shares or debentures in companies.

"According to the list of shareholders of the Associated Journals Ltd. (owners of National Herald and Quami Awaz newspapers), as on Sep 30, 2008, submitted to Registrar of Companies, Mr Rahul Gandhi holds more than three lakh shares in the company," Swamy's letter alleged.